Following repairs that cost taxpayers more than R290 million, it only took the R504 road in the North West province between Schweizer Reneke and Wolmaransstad four years to develop cracks.
This main road which connects North West with the N18 and passes through the Northern Cape is once more pothole-riddled.
The 71 km stretch of road is predominantly used by heavy vehicles carrying both agricultural and mining products.
Farmers, using the road on a daily basis, are not spared.
One of the farmers in the area, Leornard Tates, says, “About three days ago, I hit a pothole very hard on this road and you know I don’t know what the damage can be on the vehicle. I have to take the vehicle for checks again, and it was not fixed a long time ago. I think some other people might use back roads and it’s gonna take them more on fuel, and you know if you consider the fuel price that has been up, it’s gonna cost them more instead of taking a shorter road.”
MEC for Public Works and Roads Oageng Molapisi attributes the state of the road to shoddy workmanship.
“The road is fairly new we previously appointed a contractor so we would really need to look into what really happened and is something that I think we will reflect on what happened. Why the road is in the state that is in. I must also indicate that in terms of our plans we have appointed a consultant so that in a whole address the state of that particular road.”
